FHA Loans
FHA loans in Arlington, TX: 2026 limits and what buyers actually pay
Updated November 13, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Agent, Texas · Texas Realtor® License #674075
21.4% of Arlington home sales with a recorded financing type closed with an FHA loan from May through October 2026, up from 19.8% a year earlier and the second highest share of the 10 cities in this series. FHA buyers paid a median $300,000, against $330,000 citywide, and the 2026 FHA loan limit for a one-unit home in Tarrant County is $563,500. FHA offers did not lose on price: the median FHA closing came in at exactly list (100.00%), while the median cash closing came in at 96.15% of list, though the two groups paid similar prices. FHA homes sat a median 29.5 days on market, against 25.5 for cash.
TurboHome Market Analysis · 1,568 closings · May 1 to Oct 31, 2026 · Last updated November 13, 2026
This guide answers two questions with local data: can you buy a home in Arlington with an FHA loan, and how do FHA offers fare against cash. It uses 1,568 single-family, condo and townhouse closings in our MLS feed from May 1 to October 31, 2026, of which 1,562 (99.6%) recorded a single financing type.
What is the FHA loan limit in Arlington?
The 2026 FHA loan limit for a one-unit home in Tarrant County is $563,500, according to HUD's FHA mortgage limits lookup (checked November 13, 2026). 92.6% of Arlington closings from May through October 2026 were priced at or under that figure. That is better than nine in ten closings. Tarrant County's limit sits above the national floor of $541,287 rather than at it, so in Arlington the limit rarely decides whether FHA can reach a home.
Nationally, the 2026 FHA one-unit limit runs from a floor of $541,287 in lower-cost areas to a ceiling of $1,249,125 in high-cost areas. For comparison, the 2026 conforming loan limit is $832,750, with a high-cost ceiling of $1,249,125.
The limit caps the loan amount, not the price. A buyer can pay more than the limit with a larger down payment, so the share of homes priced at or under it understates what FHA can reach.
The FHA rules that decide whether you qualify, from HUD Handbook 4000.1 (checked November 13, 2026):
- Down payment and credit score: at least 3.5% down with a credit score of 580 or higher, and at least 10% down with a score from 500 to 579. Scores under 500 are not eligible.
- Upfront mortgage insurance: 1.75% of the base loan amount.
- Annual mortgage insurance on loans longer than 15 years: 0.50% to 0.55% of the loan a year for base loan amounts up to $726,200, and 0.70% to 0.75% above that, depending on the down payment. With less than 10% down it lasts for the life of the loan; with 10% or more down, 11 years.
- Seller and agent credits: interested parties, including the seller and real estate agents, can contribute up to 6% of the sales price toward closing costs, prepaid items and discount points, but not toward the minimum down payment.
How many buyers in Arlington actually use an FHA loan
1,562 of 1,568 Arlington closings from May through October 2026 (99.6%) recorded a single financing type. Of those, 21.4% used an FHA loan (334 closings), against 19.8% in the same months of 2025. FHA gained while VA (6.9%, from 7.2%), cash (16.9%, from 17.7%) and conventional loans (49.7%, from 49.8%) each slipped a little. Conventional loans still paid for about half of all closings.
| Financing | Share, May to Oct 2026 | Share, May to Oct 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| FHA | 21.4% | 19.8% |
| VA | 6.9% | 7.2% |
| Cash | 16.9% | 17.7% |
| Conventional | 49.7% | 49.8% |
FHA buyers paid a median $300,000, against $308,000 in the same months of 2025. The citywide median was $330,000, up 0.6% from $328,000, and the median home sold in 26 days, against 27 a year earlier.
Where FHA buyers are closing in Arlington
| Neighborhood | Closings | FHA | VA | Cash | Median price | Median FHA price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Arlington | 67 | 32.8% | 4.5% | 20.9% | $245,000 | $255,625 |
| North Arlington | 58 | 1.7% | 6.9% | 19.0% | $565,645 | $383,000 |
| Viridian | 40 | 5.0% | 2.5% | 17.5% | $526,893 | $487,500 |
| Huntwick | 32 | 18.8% | 6.3% | 15.6% | $416,750 | $417,500 |
| Northwest Arlington | 31 | 12.9% | 19.4% | 3.2% | $425,000 | $376,500 |
| West Arlington | 31 | 38.7% | 16.1% | 3.2% | $355,990 | $354,450 |
| North Collins | 29 | 10.3% | 3.4% | 24.1% | $159,000 | $350,000 |
| Southwest Arlington | 26 | 19.2% | 7.7% | 15.4% | $458,995 | $405,000 |
| Woodland West | 26 | 11.5% | 15.4% | 11.5% | $304,250 | $300,000 |
| Shorewood | 25 | 20.0% | 8.0% | 12.0% | $334,500 | $400,000 |
| Parkway Central Park | 24 | 4.2% | 0% | 45.8% | $386,500 | $375,000 |
| Overland Stage | 24 | 25.0% | 8.3% | 4.2% | $316,000 | $300,000 |
| Tate Springs | 23 | 21.7% | 8.7% | 4.3% | $349,000 | $290,000 |
| Fitzgerald | 21 | 19.0% | 4.8% | 33.3% | $240,000 | $250,000 |
In West Arlington, FHA (38.7%) and VA (16.1%) together were more than half of all closings, while cash was 3.2%. In North Arlington, which has the highest median of the listed neighborhoods ($565,645), FHA was 1.7%. Same city, opposite financing worlds.
Central Arlington, the busiest listed neighborhood with 67 closings at a median $245,000, had an FHA share of 32.8%. Overland Stage (25.0%), Tate Springs (21.7%) and Shorewood (20.0%) also ran near or above the citywide share, while Parkway Central Park, where 45.8% of buyers paid cash, had 4.2% FHA.
FHA by price range in Arlington
| Price range | Closings | FHA | VA | Cash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 583 | 28.1% | 2.1% | 23.3% |
| $300K to $500K | 812 | 19.8% | 9.4% | 11.8% |
| $500K to $750K | 135 | 6.7% | 11.1% | 18.5% |
| $750K to $1M | 24 | 0% | 8.3% | 25.0% |
FHA paid for 28.1% of closings under $300,000 and 19.8% from $300,000 to $500,000, then 6.7% from $500,000 to $750,000 and none in the 24 closings from $750,000 to $1 million. VA moves the other way, rising from 2.1% under $300,000 to 11.1% from $500,000 to $750,000.
Do sellers accept FHA offers in Arlington?
Here is how Arlington closings compared by how the buyer paid. The closed sales show what each group paid and how long the home sat on the market, not why a seller picked one offer over another.
| Financing | Closings | Median price | Median days on market | Median sale-to-list | Closed above asking | Closed below asking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FHA | 332 | $300,000 | 29.5 | 100.00% | 27.1% | 40.4% |
| Conventional | 775 | $345,000 | 24 | 99.18% | 19.5% | 54.7% |
| Cash | 262 | $287,700 | 25.5 | 96.15% | 10.3% | 83.6% |
| VA | 107 | $373,000 | 32 | 100.00% | 24.3% | 43.0% |
Arlington gives a close same-price comparison: cash buyers and FHA buyers paid similar median prices ($287,700 against $300,000). The cash buyers closed at a median 96.15% of list, and 83.6% of them below asking. The FHA buyers paid list (100.00%), and 27.1% of them went above asking, against 10.3% of cash buyers.
FHA homes took a median 29.5 days to sell, against 25.5 for cash and 24 for conventional loans. VA closings also came in at a median 100.00% of list. The closings show what each group paid, not that sellers prefer FHA.
Condos and FHA in Arlington
22.3% of Arlington's single-family closings and 3.4% of its condo closings used an FHA loan. Of the FHA closings, 95.8% were single-family homes and 0.6% condos. Arlington FHA buyers bought houses: 95.8% of FHA closings were single-family homes and 0.6% condos, and 3.4% of condo sales used FHA.
FHA insures a condo loan only when the unit is in an FHA-approved condominium project, meets FHA's site condominium definition or has completed FHA's Single-Unit Approval (HUD Handbook 4000.1), so ask your lender to check the building before you write an offer.
What this means for your offer in Arlington
In Arlington the FHA limit is rarely the obstacle: 92.6% of closings were priced at or under it. Where you shop matters more. FHA buyers close regularly in Central Arlington, West Arlington and Overland Stage, but rarely in North Arlington (1.7%) or Parkway Central Park (4.2%).
Plan to pay list or close to it. At similar prices, FHA buyers closed at a median 100.00% of list and cash buyers at 96.15%, and 27.1% of FHA closings went above asking.
Freddie Mac's weekly survey put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.11% on November 12, 2026, down from 7.18% the week before and up from 6.24% a year earlier. FHA quotes differ from that average, so compare an FHA quote with a conventional one with mortgage insurance included.
TurboHome's own Texas buyers took a median 31 days from accepted offer to closing on a conventional loan (closings November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026; Texas is a small sample of 37 closings with a recorded financing type). Our own FHA closings are too few to report a median. The median TurboHome buyer refund in Texas was $5,697, also from that small sample. On an FHA purchase, a cash credit at closing counts toward HUD's 6% limit on interested party contributions and can pay closing costs, prepaid items and discount points, but not the 3.5% down payment.
Before a TurboHome buyer writes an offer, their agent runs a comparable-based valuation of the home and an AI offer-acceptance prediction, so the offer price rests on recent sales of similar homes rather than a citywide average.
Methodology
Source: TurboHome's MLS closings data (our MLS feed), closings from May 1 to October 31, 2026, compared with May 1 to October 31, 2025.
Filters: single-family homes, condos and townhouses only; closings under $50,000 excluded. Financing shares use only closings where the MLS buyer-financing field carries a single value: 1,562 of 1,568 Arlington closings (99.6%). The financing mix counts every closing with a single recorded financing type. The table comparing financing types also requires a recorded days on market from 0 to 730 days, which drops a few listings per city, so its FHA count and median can differ slightly from the financing mix. Neighborhoods are those with at least 20 such closings. Prices, days on market and sale-to-list ratios are medians.
Coverage: Buyer financing is not reported in every MLS. San Francisco, Houston and Katy have almost no buyer-financing data (8% of San Francisco closings carry a financing code, and under 1% of Houston closings), and in Los Angeles and Pasadena the closings with a financing code skew far cheaper than those without one ($845,000 against $1,450,000 in Los Angeles). We left those cities out of this series rather than publish a biased share. Sacramento is left out because its sample is too small.
FHA loan limits: the Tarrant County one-unit limit is from HUD's FHA mortgage limits lookup (FHA Forward, CY2026), checked November 13, 2026. These are the 2026 limits. HUD announced them in December 2025, and they apply to FHA case numbers assigned January 1 through December 31, 2026, so expect new figures for 2027. National floor and ceiling: NAR (December 11, 2025) and NAHB. Conforming limits: Rocket Mortgage (updated January 5, 2026).
FHA rules: HUD Handbook 4000.1, last revised November 26, 2025, checked November 13, 2026; annual mortgage insurance rates from Mortgagee Letter 2023-05. Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, November 12, 2026.
TurboHome figures: TurboHome's own closings over $50,000 from November 1, 2025 to October 31, 2026. Our own FHA and VA closings are too few to report as medians.
Notes for Arlington:
- The financing mix counts 334 FHA closings and the by-financing comparison 332; we print both as they came from our feed rather than adjust either.
- Houston is a TurboHome market, served by our licensed Texas agents, but it is not in this series because under 1% of Houston closings in our MLS feed carry a buyer-financing type.
FAQ
What is the FHA loan limit in Arlington in 2026?
$563,500 for a one-unit home. Arlington is in Tarrant County, and that is HUD's 2026 FHA limit for the county (checked November 13, 2026); 92.6% of Arlington closings from May through October 2026 were priced at or under it. The limits apply to FHA case numbers assigned in 2026 and are expected to change for 2027.
How many Arlington home buyers use an FHA loan?
21.4% of Arlington closings with a recorded financing type used an FHA loan from May through October 2026 (334 closings), against 19.8% in the same months of 2025. FHA buyers paid a median $300,000, against $330,000 citywide.
Do sellers in Arlington accept FHA offers?
Yes. One Arlington closing in five used FHA from May through October 2026, and the 332 FHA closings came in at a median 100.00% of the asking price, with 27.1% above asking. Cash buyers paid a similar median price ($287,700 against $300,000) at 96.15% of list. FHA homes took a median 29.5 days to sell, against 25.5 for cash.
Can I use a buyer's agent rebate with an FHA loan?
Usually yes, as a credit toward closing costs. HUD's FHA handbook (4000.1, last revised November 26, 2025, checked November 13, 2026) counts real estate agents and sellers as interested parties, and together they can contribute up to 6% of the sales price toward your origination fees, other closing costs, prepaid items and discount points. Those contributions cannot pay the 3.5% minimum down payment, and anything above 6% or above your actual costs is treated as an inducement that lowers the price your loan is based on, so tell your lender about the rebate early.
Is a buyer's agent rebate worth it in Arlington?
For most buyers, yes. The buyer-side commission is a percentage of the price, so at Arlington's median sale price of $330,000 a refund of part of it lowers what you bring to closing, and on an FHA loan it can go toward closing costs within HUD's 6% limit. TurboHome charges a flat fee instead of a percentage commission and refunds the rest of the buyer-side commission at closing; see how to get cash back when you buy a house.
Related guides
- FHA loans by city
- Dallas-Fort Worth home buying guides
- Texas home buying guides
- How to get cash back when you buy a house
- Answers on commissions and rebates
- What TurboHome costs
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Jake Shuler
Agent, Texas
Jake Shuler is a Texas REALTOR® with more than 10 years of real estate experience and over 200 successful transactions. As an agent at TurboHome, he helps buyers navigate the Texas housing market and writes about homebuying, negotiations, local market trends, and ways buyers can save throughout the process.
View Jake's profile